A treatise of delighting in God from Psal. xxxvij. 4. Delight thy self also…

The most eminent and known Attributes of his Being; wherein by any issues of them they can be communicated, having an ingrediency and concurrence to the happiness of his people therein.

2. The Communicableness thereof. Which proceeds from his bounty, more peculiarly, and his gracious inclination to do good, and make his boundless fullness overflow to the replenishing of thirsty longing Souls, whom first it had allured and caused so to long. But ⟨p. 11⟩though the scope and order of the discourse in this Psalm, did not directly seem to import more than a design of calling off the persons here spoken to, from one sort of enjoyment to another, from a meaner and more empty to a better: Yet it is to be considered, that true (and the best) enjoyment, cannot be unaccompanied with duty; and that God is not otherwise to be enjoyed, than as he is obeyed, nor indeed are the notions of him, as a Lord to be obeyed, and as a good to be enjoyed, entirely distinct; but are interwoven, and do run into one another. We obey him, even in enjoying him; It being part of our enjoined duty, to set our hearts upon him, as our best and highest good. And we enjoy him in obeying him. The advantage and benefit of his government, being a real and most momentous part of that good which we enjoy from him, and in him. He is our Benefactor even as he is our Ruler; and is therein our Ruler, as he proposes to us benefits, which he thereby binds us to accept; for even his invitations and offers, are also laws and formal bonds of duty upon us.

2. The Communicableness thereof. Which proceeds from his bounty, more peculiarly, and his gracious inclination to do good, and make his boundless fulness overflow to the replenishing of thirsty longing Souls, whom first it had allured and caused so to long. But ⟨p. 11⟩though the scope and order of the discourse in this Psalm, did not directly seem to import more than a design of calling off the persons here spoken to, from one sort of enjoyment to another, from a meaner and more empty to a better: Yet it is to be considered, that true (and the best) injoyment, cannot be unaccompanied with duty; and that God is not otherwise to be injoyed, than as he is obeyed, nor indeed are the notions of him, as a Lord to be obeyed, and as a good to be injoyed, intirely distinct; but are interwoven, and do run into one another. We obey him, even in injoying him; It being part of our injoyned duty, to set our hearts upon him, as our best and highest good. And we injoy him in obeying him. The advantage and benefit of his government, being a real and most momentous part of that good which we injoy from him, and in him. He is our Benefactor even as he is our Ruler; and is therein our Ruler, as he proposes to us benefits, which he thereby binds us to accept; for even his invitations and offers, are also laws and formal bonds of duty upon us.